THE RED LIST OF MAGNOLIACEAE

Magnolias are among the most ancient groups of flowering plants and have long been cultivated by people - some specimens growing in the precincts of Chinese temples are estimated to be up to 800 years old. Popular as ornamental plants in gardens around the world, in the wild magnolias are a source of timber, food and medicines for local communities.

The Red List of Magnoliaceae, published in 2007 by Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI) and Fauna & Flora International (FFI) through the Global Trees Campaign (GTC), identifies 131 wild magnolias as being in danger of extinction, from a global total of 245 species.

The report is the result of a collaborative endeavor involving botanists worldwide, including a workshop in China in 2004. Underpinning the report is a comprehensive mapping exercise carried out at Bournemouth University, UK, in which the known distribution of each species was overlaid on a map of global forest cover. The report includes maps for the most highly threatened species (Critically Endangered and Endangered).

Some two thirds of known magnolia species are found in Asia, with over 40% occurring in southern China. Half of all wild Chinese magnolias are at risk of extinction: the Global Trees Campaign is working to improve the status of priority species in China (see Magnolias in China). Colombia is the country with the second highest number of Magnoliaceae species after China, and the Global Trees Campaign is also working on conservation and restoration of some of the most threatened species there (see Magnolias in Colombia).

Download The Red List of Magnoliaceae here (pdf, 2MB)

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